Accordion



E. GALIZI Jan. 5, 1932.

ACCORDION Filed March 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE NTOR Eaaem'o 6mm.

B f /%m ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1932. E. GALE, 1,8 9, 13

ACCORDION Filed March 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES 'PATE NT OFFICE",

EUGENIO GALIZI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF ADRIANO 'GALIZI, OF NEW 'YORK, N. Y. MARIA GALIZI, EXECUTRIX OF SAID EUGENIO GALIZI,

1 DECEASED ACCORDION Application filed March 4;, 1930. Serial No. 488,024.

This invention relates to accordions and it pertains 1n particular to a pitch slide mechanism, as used in connection with accordlons and to illuminating and signal devices operated on such accordions and in connection with said pitch slide mechanism.

The operating means of the pitch slide mechanism of an accordion ordinarily prorate the means by which the pitch slide is operated into the said ledge so that the hand of the operator may slide over and is supported by said ledge and said operating means incorporated therein, along the whole range of the key board.

Another objectof my invention is to incorporate the pitch slider operating means in said ledge was to effect a most simple appearance of the key board. 3

, Another object of my invention is to allow hand from its position of sliding rest upon the ledge of the accordion. 1

Another object of my invention is to provide an illumination of the'key board, illucontainedly incorporated in the accordion.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for distributingthe light of said illuminating means over the whole length of the accordion, parts of the accordion serving as reflectors.

. Another object of. my inventionisto arrange illuminating meanson an accordion in such a manner that they enhance the effect of decorative parts of the accordion.

Another object of my invention is to provide on an accordion illuminating means,the operation of which is a function of the op-f erations of the pitch slide mechanism. Another object of my invention is to provide signal means on an accordion which visually call the attention of the audience to a change of the pitch slidef Another object of my'invention is to pro-.

. vention.

vide means for illuminating an accordion" which allow the. operator to, observe the operation of the keys when he is playing low.

The reed-board of an accordion is ordi narily protectedby an open work cover which serves to mechanically protect the reed board and the levers operating the same but which permits the sound to travel freely from the reed board in an upward direction.

Another object of my invention is to pro;

accentuating the observation of the pallet vide means for the observation and means actuating arms through the reed board cover.

In view of these and other objects I have developed the invention which is described in the following and illustrated by the ac-' companying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 shows a perspective top view of an accordion. v v

Figure 2 shows asectional, partly sec tioned, rear view of the key board end of the reed board of an accordion.

Figure 3 shows a cross section of the parts located above the reed board of an accordion. the operator of an accordion to operate thev pitch slide, without removing the playing Figure 4 shows a sectional end view ofthe partly cut open.

Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the pitch slide mechanism actuates the illuminating means of my invention. minating means for that purpose being self-- Figure 6 shows a diagram of the electric circuit of the illuminating means of my in- Similar'numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views. v In front of the key board 11 of the accordion a ledge 12 extends along the whole range of said-key board. The pitch slide actuating-lever 13 is countersunk into and forms part ofsaid front ledge-and it is substantially in level with said front ledge when in its normal position of rest. A trimming 14 runs around the top side of the key board and of the reed board'15, saidtrimming concealing the upper edges of the ledge of the pitch slide actuating lever 13 and the hinge 16 by which said lever is fulc'rumed on said ledge. 5 The pitch slide actuating lever 13 is hinged onto the ledge '12 in arecessed part of said ledge, below the trimming 14: by the piano hinge 16. Whereas the pitch slide actuating lever 13 substantially registers with the ledge 12 at the front thereof and, below the trimming 14:, on the top thereof, the rear 17 of the pitch slide actuating lever 18 extends for a short distance above the rear oi the ledge 12 and a flange 18 rectangularly extends from the pitch slide actuating lever 13 over the back of the key board. Below said flange 18 a connecting rod 19 is fulcrumed in hinge 20 onto the pitch slide actuating lever and the free end of said rod is hinged at 21 onto the pitch slide actuating key 22 which is mounted below the cover '23 and which is adapted slidably to reciprocate in a suitable recess of said cover The free ends 2 1 of the escape levers 25 tensionally rest against the key 22. The lower ends of said escape levers 25 are hinged upon a toggle lever 26 which is tulcrumed at 27 upon the back of the key board; between the forked ends 28 0t toggle lever 26 extends a lug 29 of the pitch slide or of a slide which is operatively connected with the pitch slide, and which is adapted laterally to reciprocate.

The piano hinge 16, in the manner of spring hinges, includes tension means which normally press the pitch slide actuating lever 13 trontwardly into alignment with the ledge 12. A stop 54 is provided on sliding key 22 which prevents the pitch slide actuating lever 18 from swinging frontwa'rd beyond the level of the front of the ledge 12.

The force of the tension means which tend to open the hinge 16 is such that the pressure, with which the hand of the operator of the accordion normally rests upon the ledge while playing the instrument, does not push the lever out of alignment with the ledge 12. But conscious application of pressure by'the palm or otherwise will swing the backotthe lever 16 into the corresponding recess in the ledge.

Each time the operator actuates the pitch slide actuating lever 13 by pressing down the lower part thereof into a recess in the ledge 12, the slide key 22 engages upon one or the "other of the escape levers 25, thus alternatingly swinging the toggle lever 26 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the forked ends 28 of said toggle lever reciprocating between the positions 28 and 28a, as shown.

The toggle lever 26, as it is shown swung to the left in clockwise direction, holds the pitch slide laterally in a position in which the pitch valves are open so that the octaves or harmonics controlled thereby arein an operable position. If the operator now depresses the pitch slide actuating lever 13, the toggle lever is swung in counterclockwise direction to a position to the right (28a) and the pitch valves are closed by the pitch slide. Another operation of the lever 13 willreturn the pitch slide to a position at which the pitch valves are open.

Upon the rear wall 30 of the reed board 15 is raisedly mounted a spring 31 which comes into electrical contact with. tog ver 26 when said toggle lever is swm right, said contact being interrup the toggle lever is swung to the left. The spring 31'is connected by an electric conductor 32 to a clamp 33, by means of which the shell 3% of the electric battery is mounted upon the wall 30 ot the reed board. lfiillll bat tery is arranged in the reed box 2-55, so as to clear allreeds 36; insulating means 337, made 01 felt or other protecting material, are mounted next to the reeds upon the respective valves, to prevent injury to the reeds by the battery. The battery shell 34; contains one or more dry cell sections which are retained in the shell by the pre are of a spring 38; that coiled spring-arises 11cm the bottom of the plug 39, which is removably retained in one of the side walls oi the reed boxes in a threaded opening all). The dry cells may be removed from the battery shell 34. as soon the plug 39 is removed, the threaded opening lO being in alignment with the battery shell 3 1. One pole of the butt connects to the conductor 32 by means 0; are c- I w winch holds the shell Ql-l. The other tr a... the

dry cells pressed by the tension or spring 38 against contactor 4.1, which ar a from the back wall ot. the reed board and which connects to the electric conductor The cover 2; is connected by a conductor l3 to a toggle switch and said switch is connected by the conductor 15, which together with conductor extends through an opening in the back wall of the reed board, to the electric light socket ii. That socket is supported above the reed board 15 and below the cover 18 by means of a bent-wire bracket 19. The electi 'c light socket holds an electric bulb which is adapted to be lit by the current of the dry'eells. Said bulb is located below an opening :31 in the cover 18 and a lens is raisedly mounted in the opening 51; said lens serves to distribute the light radiated by bulb 50 above the cover d8. The electric light socket is mounted above the reed board substantially in level with the pallet actuating arms 53 which extend from the keys of the key board to the valves. The pallet actuating arms are ordinarily made of aluminum tubing or other shining metal so that the light of the bulb 50 which radiates towards both side below the cover l8, is reflected by the bright metal of the pallet actuating arms 33 and is reflected through the openings, open work, metallic decorations, or protective and supporting gauze of the cover elf Vv'hen the pallet actuating arms are actuated. by the keys of the key board, a change in the ell'ect oi the light o'l the bulb 50, asrellected by said pallet ill) actuating arms is brought about, which draws the attention of the audience to said pallet actuating arms and the respective keys so that the playing of the accordion may be followed by observation of the light reflected through the cover 48.

At the same time the light of bulb 50 is refiected through the open parts of the cover the lightradiating from bulb 50, whereby the quantity of light reflected through the cover is effectively increased. -This aids the use obtained from the arrangement of the bulb at the'level chosen, since it is important to use the light most effectively, because, on account of the limited space in the accordion, a.

moderately sized current source is used.

I Corresponding to the manner in which one light is arranged upon the accordion as illustrated in the drawings, two or more lights may be correspondingly distributed below the cover 48 and a variety of light effects may thus be produced. v I

These light effects are set into operation or shut off by the operation of the pitch slide actuating lever 13. As described and shown in the drawings, the pitch slide lever will turn on the light of bulb 50, when the pitch slide valves are closed and there is no light when the pitch slide valves are open; The main switch 44 allows the light to be shut off by separate control, so that the light of the bulb 50 may be shut off, even when the pitch slide is in a position of closing the pitch valves.

Although I have shown and described one form'of embodiment of my invention in de-.

tail, yet I do not wish to be limited thereby, except as the state of the art and theappended claims may require, for it is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in the form of embodiment of my invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. v

I claim:

1. In an accordion, a key board, a'ledg in front of said keyboard serving as a sup port for the hand of the player, and'pitch slide operating means arranged in axrecess in the front of said ledge, the surface of said pitch slide operating means replacing the top and side of said ledge for substantially the width over which the operators hand slides in playing the accordion, thesurface of said means normally forming a continuation of said ledge.

2. In an accordian, a key board, a ledge in front of said'key board serving-as a support for the hand of the player, pitch slide operating means arranged in a recess inthe front of said ledge,,the surface of said pitch slideoperating means normally being insubstantial alignment with the front of said fledge, a hinged connection between the upper end of said means and said ledge,

around which said means are adapted to swing below the front of said ledge, and a level trimming extending around the top of said ledge near the edge thereof and near the" upper edge of said means, covering said hinged connection.

3. In an accordion, a key board, a ledge in front of said key board serving as a support for the hand of the'player, pitch slide oper ating means arranged in a recess in the front of said ledge, a pitch slide, connecting means between said pitch slide and said p tch slide operating means, an electric circuit including illuminating means, and con-l" trol means on said illuminating means co" ,operatively connected with said connecting means.

4. Inan accordion, a key board, a ledge in front of said key board serving as a support for the hand of the player, pitch slide operating means arranged in a recess in the front of said ledge, the surface of said pitch slide operating means normally being in substantial alignment with the front of sa d ledge, a

pitch. slide, connecting means between said pitch slide and said pitch slide operating means, an electric circuit including illuminating means, and control means on said illuminating means cooperatively connected with said connecting means. I

5. In an accordion, a key board, a ledge in front of said key board serving as a support forthe hand of the player, pitch slide operating means arranged in a recess in the front of said ledge, a pitch slide, connecting means between said pitch slide and said pitch slide operatingmeans, a transparent reed board cover, an electric circuit including illuminating means arranged below said transparent reed board cover, and control means on said illuminating means cooperatively connected with said connecting means.

6. In anaccordion, a key board, a ledge in front of said key board serving port for the ha-nd'of the player, pitch slide operating means arranged in a recess in the front of said ledge, a pitch slide, connecting means between said pitch slide and said pitch slide operating means, pallet actuating? means arranged upon a reed board, a transparent reed board cover, an electric circuit including illuminating means arranged below said transparent reed board cover, and

control means on said illuminating means" as a sup' cooperatively connected With said. cnneeting means.

'2'. In an accordion, a key board, a ledge in front oi? said hey hoard serving as a support 5 for the hand of the player, pitch slide operating in ans er ged ii a recess in the front e, a pitch slide, connecting means between id. pitch slide and said pitch slide opera ii means, pallet actuating; means aranged upon a reed board, a transpar nt reed l cover, and an electric circuit including mating means ranged below said list actuating means.

8. in an accordion, a lie; heard, a ledge in irontof said hey hoard serving as a support hand :l' the player, pitch slide oper 1 s arranged in a recess in the front a pitch slide, connecting means 3 itch le dad said pi h slide L meaiis, mule mating means ai- L LC r i reed boaril, a transparent reed boar (:lGCL'llC circuit including illur ans a ranged below said our, L ed e0 e1. eon, salt pail. 3 v means, and control means on ting means cooperatively conn 1d connecting means.

9. in m accordion, a key board, a ledge iv from; o aid key h Rlltl serving as a support :c rind of the player, pitch slide operat cans arranged in a recess in the front or said ledge, a pitch slide, connectmeans between said pitch slide and said pitch operatin" means, pallet actuating means arranged up n a reed board, a transs o be: rd cover, an electric circuit ldllttll1g means arranged bearent reed box cover and said alleii actuating means, and ising means projecting above said cover registering with said illuminating l aid t in an a cor then, a key board, a ledge nt Oil said hey hoard serving as suptlie haj'id or the la er, pitch slide 1 s .nged in a recess in the li surface of said pitch glacing the top and. i substantially the \iiidththe operators hand slides in accordion, die surface of said ally forming a COIl'tl'J'HlitliOH' 0i a pliablecrimniing' fastened rtending over the top of said d. over the top of said means. In testimony whereof l al'lix my signature EUGENIO GAL 21.

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